Reinforcement for concrete construction.



w. B. HQ- UG H, -.REINFORCEMENT FOR CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 29|'l9l2.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Inver ftir W. B. HOUGH. REINFORCEMENT ,F-JR CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION. I V APPLICATION men MAR. 29. 1912.

1,172,026. lfatntodFeb.1916,

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

1 Q life- 1%? I lmfen lor v V i to openings at the vertex or bent edge of the spacing means. and prov1de suitable sockets for the reception of the respective turns or coils of the encircling element 12 or portions of the encircling means. The slot or opening 11, in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4:, has its ends depended downwardly sentedtoward each other, as more clearly shown inFig. :3, thus providing an intermediate projecting portion 11 '15 upper edges whereof slightly extend into the slot, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The ends of the slot 'or opening which extend slightly beneath the upper edges of the intermediate pontionor tongue 11 form the sockets or "seats for the coils or turns of the encircling means or member 12 when the upright .or spacing members have been bent into proper form, as shown in Fi 3. v

The intermediate portions Il -of the re- 'spective slots, it will beseen', will prevent the accidental removal of the coils of the encircling means ormember. Afterall of the coils v or turns of the encircling member have been properlyplaced in their respective slots, the fioyertical orspacing members 10 are preferably 'slightly-expanded as shown ig. 4:. By thus expanding the members, the coils or turns of the encircling member will be forced into the ends of the opening so as to come slightly beneath the extended corners of the intermediate or l'ip'portion 11 and --be firmly held in place.

spacingmembers 10 will properly maintain the different coils or turns of the encircling 1 0 means in the proper separated or spaced relation to each other.

The encircling means 12 in F igs .-1 to 4, is shown in the nature of a continuous or spiral wire, which is adapted to resist the lateral or transverse stresses that occur in the columns or upright members of the concrete construction. The encircling means may, however, be made in various forms and of any desired lengthyfor example,

5 6, the encircling means is shown in the nature of a flat member. or band 12%rectangular in cross section. lVhen this form of encircling member is employed, the spacing -members 10 are provided with the -substan-' 5 tially rectangular cut-out portions or slots 11, see Fig. 5, the, lower corners whereof areextended downwardly so as to provide the intermediateportion or'tongue 11. The

l preferably extend slightly into the cuttiut portion as cle rly shown in Fig. 5.

Whenthe coils or; turns-of the encircling member-I12 have been inserted in their re-- pecti voyslots in vertical member or spacer 10, the coils-0r turns will be seated in the and slightly prethe opposite The vertical or in Fig.

upper corners of the interi'nediate portion extended lower portions. ofthe slot, as Clearly shown in Fig. 6. The spacing member 10 nray tlren he slightly expanded, as

shown in Fig. 4, which will bring the extended uppercorners of intermediate port1on 1:1

firmly gripped or clamped against accidental removal.

Where the encircling member. is of con-.

into frictional engagement with the enc rcling means, thereby causing the coils or turns of the enc1rclmg element 12 to be The spacing members 10 not only act as spacers for the different coils or turns of the encircling element 12, when the re1n forcement is n set up positlon, but the spacers also provide means whereby the encircling elem'ent may be readily put into a condensed or collapsed condition. It is .evident from the construction shown and described, that' the spacing members may be readily slid along the coils or turns of the encircling member, especially when the legs or sides of the spacers are slightly contracted, so that the spacing members, where more than two are employed, m be assembled or brought together at two points diametrically opposite each other. This will pernit the assembled spacing members on opposite .sides of the encircling element to be moved or forced in opposite directions, thereby bringing the parts of the reinforcen'ient into a collapsed condition with the coils or turns of the encircling element extending almost parallel with the spacers. By putting the reinforcement into the compact form just described, it may be easily handled and at thev same time occupy considerably less space than would be the case if it were necessary to maintain the reinforcement inits extended or set up condition. To place the reinforcement into its extended or set up condition, it is merely necessary to move .the oppositely disposed spacing members in a direction opposite to that when collapsing the reinforcement, which will bring the parts into proper position, as shown in; Fig. 1'.-

In-Fig's. 7- and 8, I show still another,

modified form of my invention, wherein the upright or spacing members are provided with'slots' in their outer longitudinal edges instead of in the bent edge or vertex thereof. The slots shown in Figs. 7 and 8 aresubstantially similar to those shown .in Fig. 1. 1

The slots 11 extend into the blank from the opposite" longitudinal edges, with the re; spective slots at the opposite sides of the blank arranged substantially in ,the same plane with each other, andjhavejtheir inner ends curved downward1y'similar to the manner shown inflFig. 2; the inner ends of the slots curve slightly toward the outer edge of the blank, 7 so, asto provide the portion or ,tongue' 11, beneathwhichthe rounds or "coils of the encircling means willbeseated.

After all the coils or turns of the encir- I Icling means have been placed in their respective slots, the spacers 10, shown in Figs. 7 andS, are expanded. This will maintain the 'coils' orturns of the encircling means within the slots'at a point' beneath the tongues 11*,

yvhere they will be firmly gripped.

In Fig. 8, I illustrate another method of assembling the various elements of my improved reinforcement, whereby. the spacers are arranged outside-of the encircling means,

so that the bent or nose portion of the spacers will actas a spacing means or gage to maintain' the proper relative position of the encir-- cling means to the outside casing or form. 1

7 In practice, the concrete surrounds the different members orelements of thereinforcefment on all sides and fills in between the 's ycoils or turns of the encircling means and r rounds or coils as shown in Fig. 1, so that l also fills in the openings or slots adjacent the i or width.

I haveshown and described various forms of my: invention as well as different methods oifemploying the same,'but it is apparent that other "alterations and modifications may, beinade without, however, departing from tsie spirit oif my invention. I do not wish,

therefore, to limit -myself to the specific forms shown and described, but

WVhat I claim as my invention, and wish I to secure by Letters Patent, is

y 1. A reinforcement for concrete construct1on,,compr1smg encircllng means, and a plurality ofspacers arranged lengthwise of the encircling means,the spacers consisting of sheet metal blanks bent longitudinally so as to provide angularly expansible members,

, with the portion of said members adapted to contact with theencircling nieansbeing pro 'vided with transversely extending slots ar-. 'ranged in longitudinal series and of width adapted to permit insertion of the encircling 'v-means laterally, the ends of the slots arranged to receive the encircling means beingextended downwardly and slightly rearwardly so as to provide an intermediate portion having upwardly presented lips extending into said slots so as to provide restrictions at points where the slots are disposed,

downwardly, said lips being adapted to grip said encircling means and prevent lateral displacement thereof when said members are expanded.

. "l 2. In. a reinforcement for concrete construction provided with an encircling eleme'nt, spacing means comprising blanks of sheet metal bent longitudinally so as to provide 'angularly' expansible members, said members being provided with transversely lateral insertion of .an encircling element,

said slots being arranged in longitudinal.

series with the ends of the slots being extended downwardly and slightly under the main portion of the slots so as to provide upwardly presented p'ortions having corners or lips adapted to form restrictions at points where the slots extend downwardly and thereby provide gripping portions, whereby an element inserted in said slots will be held against lateral displacement when said members have been expanded.

WILLIAM B. HOUGH.

Witnesses GEORGE, HEIDMAN R. E. l/VIGI-ITON.

:disposed slots of width adapted to permit' 

